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Water is an essential component of life. Only 2.5% of the total percentage of water available on earth is fresh. As the world’s population is increasing, water pollution is becoming more complex and difficult to remove. Due to change in climatic conditions globally, many regions of the world are facing multiple challenges in sustainable supply of water, and their magnitude is rapidly increasing. Therefore, reuse of waste water is becoming a common necessity. However, due to the presence of water contaminants, such as heavy metals, organic pollutants and many other complex compounds, treatment of contaminated waste water is essential for a healthy life. Nanotechnology offers opportunities to provide efficient, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable solutions for supplying potable water for human use and clean water for agricultural and industrial uses. Photocatalytic processes have shown great potential as a low-cost, environmentally friendly and sustainable treatment technology for water purification. Photocatalytic degradation has been used efficiently for the degradation and removal of toxic and harmful chemicals to improve water quality. Titanium-based semiconductors have been employed as photocatalysts in degradation of organic molecules. In this review, titanium dioxide-based nanoparticles and their applications in water remediation are discussed.

Stakeholders such as governments, NGOs and customers have made businesses to consider sustainable practices in their operations. Achieving sustainability goals, such as for e.g. carbon emissions reduction often requires coordinated efforts between firms across different echelons in supply chains. This paper aims to study this issue of sustainability efforts by firms in a two-echelon supply chain where pricing decisions are also in mix along with emission reduction policy decisions. We consider a channel in which a manufacturer sells through a retailer where retailer is the dominant firm. Both the firms can put efforts to reduce their respective emission levels. We model a Stackelberg game where retailer as the leader determines its retail price (margin) and its emission reduction efforts and the manufacturer responds by determining its wholesale price and its emission reduction effort. The consumer demand is sensitive to retail price as well as total supply chain wide emissions. We also solve the problem of a centralized decision maker which serves as a benchmark solution. We obtain optimal equilibrium policies and obtain useful managerial insights both through analytical as well as numerical means including the sensitivity of optimal decision variables w.r.t. various exogenous model parameters. We find that in the centralized channel the overall sustainability efforts are higher and in addition the consumers also pay a lower retail price in the centralized channel compared to a decentralized one.

This study attempts to assess the financial literacy level of the respondents, impact of financial literacy level on the respondents' financial decision and study the significant difference between financial literacy level and demographic variables of the respondents in Punjab and Haryana State. Data collection was done through a structured questionnaire which was divided into two parts: first part comprises of demographic variables; and second part contains 33 variables affecting financial decision of the respondents. Regression analysis was performed to measure the significant impact of financial literacy level on financial decision of the respondents and found the statistically significant impact on the financial decision of the respondents. A statistically significant difference was found in the financial literacy level based on respondents' age, marital status, educational qualification, area they belong, occupation and monthly income.

The current study investigates the removal of Cu(II) ions from an aqueous solution through adsorption over amine-modified Fe(III)-doped-ZnO nanoparticles (FZO) beads. The physico-chemical properties of the synthesized FZO and FZO-M beads were determined using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-Ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of various adsorption parameters, including pH, temperature, dosage, contact time and initial metal concentration, were investigated for the removal of Cu(II) ions. The synthesized FZO and FZO-M beads showed the complete removal of Cu(II) ions from a 50 ppm aqueous solution at a dosage of 1 g/L, pH of 4 and temperature of 25 °C within 720 min. The formation of both cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and cupric oxide (CuO) phases of copper oxides was achieved through the adsorption of Cu(II) over FZO and FZO-M beads, as revealed from FTIR, XRD and XPS analysis. The kinetics of the Cu(II) adsorption over both the synthesized beads follows a pseudo-second-order model, being faster for FZO-M beads than FZO beads. After amine modification of the FZO NPs, the maximum adsorption capacity of the FZO-M beads for the removal of Cu(II) ions was enhanced by 1.7 times and estimated to be 2144.5 mg/g, as per the Langmuir isotherm model. The Cu(II) removal mechanism, as identified by XPS analysis, revealed adsorption, complexation and copper oxides formation.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the financial literacy level of households in the state of Punjab and Haryana. Also, it examines the relationship between financial literacy level and demographic variables. A modified questionnaire has been developed for data collection which covers the respondents' demographic variables and also identifies 33 variables affecting their financial literacy level. To frame the financial literacy level of the respondents, the median percentage of the responses of the sample was considered. A simple random sample of 800 respondents is used: male respondents, people in the age group of 31 to 35 years, above 35 years, married, graduates, post-graduates and doctorates, people living in semi-urban and urban areas, private employees, business persons and government employees, people having monthly income between Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 45,000 and >Rs. 45,000 possess higher levels of financial literacy.

AbstractAimsResponse to cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) in patients with heart failure depends on the degree of correction of electromechanical dyssynchrony between the left and right ventricles (LV, RV). It is not known whether chronic programming of interventricular (VV) intervals based on characterisation of myocardial strain at different pacing intervals performed acutely would have better long-term clinical outcomes. We hence aimed to evaluate this relationship between speckle tracking strain patterns and rates at different VV intervals and long-term clinical outcomes of programmed VV pacing in patients with CRT in a prospective, longitudinal follow-up study.MethodsWe assessed echocardiographic effects, myocardial strain patterns and rates in acute settings at VV intervals; ‘LV Off’, ‘VV0’, ‘VV60’ and ‘RV Off’ to provide ‘RV-only’, ‘simultaneous BiV’, ‘sequential LV–RV’ and ‘LV-only’ pacing respectively in 338 patients (age, 67.5 ± 10.3 years; male, 70%) with CRT. Thereafter, devices were programmed chronically to VV60, and long-term clinical outcomes were assessed.ResultsWith VV0, VV60 and LV only pacing, LVEF improved to 33.6 ± 12.3%, 40.0 ± 11.4% and 42.6 ± 11.2%, respectively, from 23.7 ± 10.2% at baseline (p < .001). Incremental improvement in strain occurred with VV0, VV60 and LV only pacing; greatest with LV only pacing. At 1 year, 23% patients had NYHA III-IV compared to 96% at baseline (p < .001).ConclusionsIn patients with CRT, different VV timings show significant differences in acute myocardial strain patterns and rates, and LVEF. These changes are markedly favourable with LV-only and sequential LV–RV pacing, the latter with chronic programming also results in long-term clinical improvement.

This study attempts to explore the new ideas of sustainable holistic development to assess the financial literacy of the respondents considering Bhartiya culture and context and also identifies the impact of Bhartiya financial literacy level on the respondents' financial literacy decision. Data collection was done through a structured questionnaire which was divided into two parts: first part comprises of demographic variables and second part contains 12 variables affecting financial literacy decision of the respondents. The median percentage of correct answers of the sample was considered to frame Bhartiya financial literacy level and/or to classify the subgroups. Further, exploratory factor analysis was conducted to reduce the variables influencing financial literacy decision of the respondents. Regression analysis was also performed to measure the significant impact of Bhartiya financial literacy level on financial literacy decision of the respondents' and found the statistically significant impact on the financial literacy decision of the respondents.

ABSTRACTA realistic and optimum design of reinforced concrete structural frame, by hybridizing enhanced versions of standard particle swarm optimization (PSO) and standard gravitational search algorithm (GSA) is presented in this paper. PSO has been democratized by considering all good and bad experiences of the particles, whereas GSA has been made self-adaptive by considering a specific range for certain parameters like ‘gravitational constant’ and ‘set of agents with best fitness value.’ Optimal size and reinforcement of the members have been found by employing the technique in a computer-aided environment. Use of self-adaptive GSA together with democratic PSO technique has been found to provide two distinct advantages over standard PSO and GSA, namely better capability to escape from local optima and faster convergence rate. The entire formulation for optimal cost design of frame includes the cost of beams and columns. In this approach, variables of each element of structural frame have been considered as continuous functions and rounded off appropriately to imbibe practical relevance to the study. An example has been considered to emphasize the validity of this optimum design procedure and results have been compared with earlier studies.

This work presents a typical optimization technique i.e. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to achieve optimal design of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams. Optimal cross-sectional sizing of an RC beam results in cost saving, but it (optimal sizing) cannot be standardized for the various factors that influence a given design. An algorithm has been developed to search for a minimum cost solution that satisfies Indian codal requirements for RC beams. The objective function consists of the cost of concrete and rebars as prevalent at the place of construction. Successful implementation of the algorithm clearly establishes PSO’s ability of performance in the case of RC beams. A number of examples have been presented to show the effectiveness of this formulation for achieving optimal design.

J wave syndrome has emerged as a significant cause of Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) responsible for sudden cardiac death. A large body of data is now available on genesis, genetics and ionic mechanisms of J wave syndromes. Two of these viz., Early repolarization syndrome (ER) and Brugada syndrome (BrS) are fairly well characterized enabling correct diagnosis in most patients. The first part of repolarization of ventricular myocardium is governed by Ito current i.e., rapid outward potassium current. The proposed mechanism of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) storms is the faster Itocurrent in the epicardium than in the endocardium results in electrical gradient that forms the substrate for phase 2 reentry. Prevention of Ito current with quinidine supports this mechanism. Majority of ER patterns in young patients are benign. The key issue is to identify those at increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Association of both ER syndrome and Brugada syndrome with other disease states like coronary artery disease has also been reported. Individuals resuscitated from VF definitely need an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) but in others there is no consensus regarding therapy. Role of electrophysiology study to provoke ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation is not yet well defined. Radiofrequency ablation of epicardial substrate in right ventricle in Brugada syndrome is also under critical evaluation. In this review we shall discuss historical features, epidemiology, electrocardiographic features, ionic pathogenesis, clinical features and current status of proposed treatment of ER and BrS.

Cooperative advertising is a key incentive offered by a manufacturer to influence retailers’ promotional decisions. We study cooperative advertising in a dynamic retail oligopoly where a manufacturer sells his product through Ncompeting retailers. We model the problem as a Stackelberg differential game in which the manufacturer announces his shares of advertising costs of the Nretailers or his subsidy rates, and the retailers in response play a Nash differential game in choosing their optimal advertising efforts over time. We obtain the feedback equilibrium solution consisting of the optimal advertising policies of the retailers and manufacturer’s subsidy rates. We identify key drivers that influence the optimal subsidy rates and, in particular, obtain the conditions under which the manufacturer will not support the retailers. For the special case of two retailers we obtain insights on some key supply chain issues. First, we analyze its impact on profits of channel members and the extent to which it can coordinate the channel. Second, we investigate the case of an anti-discrimination act which restricts the manufacturer to offer equal subsidy rates to the two retailers.Cooperative advertising is a key incentive offered by a manufacturer to influence retailers’ promotional decisions. We study cooperative advertising in a dynamic retail oligopoly where a manufacturer sells his product through Ncompeting retailers. We model the problem as a Stackelberg differential game in which the manufacturer announces his shares of advertising costs of the Nretailers or his subsidy rates, and the retailers in response play a Nash differential game in choosing their optimal advertising efforts over time. We obtain the feedback equilibrium solution consisting of the optimal advertising policies of the retailers and manufacturer’s subsidy rates. We identify key drivers that influence the optimal subsidy rates and, in particular, obtain the conditions under which the manufacturer will not support the retailers. For the special case of two retailers we obtain insights on some key supply chain issues. First, we analyze its impact on profits of channel members and the extent to which it can coordinate the channel. Second, we investigate the case of an anti-discrimination act which restricts the manufacturer to offer equal subsidy rates to the two retailers.

Abstract: Objective(s): To evaluate the effectiveness of uterine balloon therapy for the treatment of menorrhagia and to determine its prognostic factors. Method(s): Seventy five patients were treated with uterine balloon therapy with thermachoice II for intractable menorrhagia without detectable pathology and the results were statistically analyzed regarding procedure efficacy, safety, side effects and prognostic factors at follow-up periods of one month, three months, six months and 12 months. Results(s): After undergoing uterine balloon therapy, 41.30% patients attained eumenorrhea, 30.43% hypomenorrhea and 15.21% amenorrhea at the end of 12 months follow-up. Retroverted uterus, prolonged duration of menstruation, endometrial thickness of at least 9mm and uterine depth >10 cm were associated with an increased risk of treatment failure. Conclusion(s): Uterine balloon therapy is an efficient and reliable modality to treat women with intractable menorrhagia especially those who have completed their families but do not want to part with their uterus which of course is without any organic pathology.

This paper presents a characterization of a new class of fault-tolerant systems based on the concept of task diagnosability (or equivalently f/(n-l)-diagnosability). Task diagnosability can be achieved on systems with disjoint comparison testing graphs, and this property can be used to validate correct task results without resorting to an auxiliary procedure for processor diagnosis that is prone to fail for intermittent or transient faults. Issues of task allocation and synchronization as well as implementation are considered

The redundant units in a classic N Modular Redundancy (NMR) system are employed solely for fault tolerance, making this technique inefficient. This paper introduces Multiple Task Modular Redundancythat allows an NMR system to have a higher throughput by exploiting, when no faults have occurred, the system’s redundancy. More than one group of replicated tasks are optimistically executed. This method has a 50-100% better throughput over NMR but does not jeopardize the fault tolerance of the basic NMR system. Unlike other methods, this technique applies to systems as small as three processors (TMR). Variations on the granularity and dependencies of tasks are considered.